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determination of the Commission, made under (1) (1) above;

(iii) Unless otherwise authorized in writing by the Commission to obtain patent agreements from all such employees to effectuate the purposes of this paragraph (1); and (iv) Unless otherwise authorized in writing by the Commission, to insert this paragraph (1) in all subcontracts.

No claim for pecuniary award or compensation under the provisions of the Atomic Energy Acts of 1946 and 1954 shall be asserted by the Contractor or his employees with respect to any Subject Invention covered by this paragraph (OCTOBER 1966).

(b) Where the work to be performed or the material or equipment to be furnished by the contractor is of such character that any such Subject Inventions that may be made will probably (1) relate only incidentally (and not directly) to some phase of the basic research or development work which the Atomic Energy Commission conducts or sponsors, (2) relate to a field or work in which the contractor has an established industrial and patent position, or (3) result from routine development or production work by the contractor, a provision authorizing the contractor to retain license rights may be incorporated in the paragraph set forth in paragraph (a) of this section. Any such provision or any deviation from the paragraph set forth in paragraph (a) of this section, which the Military Department concerned proposes to authorize, shall be forwarded in accordance with Departmental procedures to the Atomic Energy Commission for recommendation and shall not be authorized except with the concurrence of the Atomic Energy Commission.

[29 F.R. 9760, July 21, 1964, as amended at 32 F.R. 528, Jan. 18, 1967]

§ 9.107-8 Contracts placed for NASA.

(a) Patent Rights Clause. (1) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will from time to time request the Departments to place contracts on behalf of NASA. Such requests will state whether or not a NASA clause providing for property rights in inventions is required, and the request should have attached thereto the appropriate clause desired by NASA. If such clause is not furnished by NASA, it must be obtained from NASA and be included in the contract. The following rules amplify the use of patent rights clauses in such contracts.

(i) If the request states that the NASA clause is required in any resulting contract and the work to be performed is not severable and is funded wholly or in part by NASA, then the NASA clause and no other patent rights clause shall be included in the contract.

(ii) If the request states that the NASA clause is required in any resulting contract and the work to be performed under the contract is severable and is only in part for NASA, then the work which is on behalf of NASA shall be identified in the contract and the NASA clause shall be made applicable thereto. That portion of the work for a Department shall likewise be identified and the clause contained in § 9.107-5 or authorized in § 9.107-6, as appropriate, shall be made applicable to such portion if a patent rights clause is required by this subchapter.

(iii) If the request states that the NASA clause is not required in any resulting contract and the work to be performed under the contract is not wholly on behalf of NASA, then the clause contained in § 9.107-5 or authorized in § 9.107-6, as appropriate, shall be used if a patent rights clause is required by this subchapter.

(iv) If the request states that the NASA clause is not required in any resulting contract and such contract is wholly on behalf of NASA, then no patent rights clause shall be included in such contract.

(2) The price of any contract described in subparagraph (1) of this paragraph shall in no event be increased by reason of the inclusion of any patent rights clause in the contract.

(b) Deviations. No deviations shall be made under § 1.109 of this chapter in any NASA clause providing for property rights in inventions except with the prior approval of NASA. Requests for such deviations, whether individual or blanket, shall be processed in accordance with § 1.109-3 of this chapter. [29 F.R. 9761, July 21, 1964]

§ 9.107-9 Contracts relating to space.

In order that inventions arising out of Department of Defense sponsored space research and development may be available for use for the benefit of the general public in communications satellite systems, whether such systems are operated by or for the Government or by private enterprise for the transmission of commercial or Government traffic, the para

graph set forth below, in lieu of paragraph (b) (1) of the Patent Rights clause prescribed in § 9.107-5(b) shall be inserted, except as provided in § 9.107-8, in any contract having as one of its purposes the performance of research and development work under a space program, project, or task:

(b) Rights granted to the Government. (1) The Contractor agrees to and does hereby grant to the Government an irrevocable, nonexclusive, and royalty-free license to practice and have practiced each Subject Invention (made by the Contractor) throughout the world for Governmental purposes, including the practice of each such Subject Invention (1) in the manufacture, use, and disposition of any article or material, (ii) in the use of any method, or (iii) in the performance of any service, acquired by or for the Government or with funds derived through the Military Assistance Program of the Government or funds otherwise derived through the Government. In addition, the Government shall have the right to grant licenses to others, under such terms and conditions as may be prescribed, for the practice of such Subject Invention throughout the world in the design, development, manufacture, operation, maintenance, and testing of communications satellite systems, and of equipment, components, and ground tracking, transmitting and receiving facilities therefor (OCTOBER 1966).

[32 F.R. 528, Jan. 18, 1967]

§ 9.108

Patent rights under contracts for personal services.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, the following clause, which is based on Executive Order 10096, shall be inserted in all contracts with individuals who are to render personal services.

PATENTS (DECEMBER 1953)

(a) For the purpose of determining the rights of the Government and the Contractor in and to inventions, the Contractor agrees to be bound by all provisions of Executive Order 10096, dated January 23, 1950, and any orders, rules, regulations, or the like issued thereunder.

(b) The Contractor shall: (1) Make written disclosure promptly to the Contracting Officer of all inventions of the Contractor which are conceived or first reduced to practice during the term of this contract, and sign and execute all papers necessary for conveying to the Government the right to which the Government is entitled in accordance with the determination made under the provisions of Executive Order 10096, or (ii) certify to the Contracting Officer that, to the best of the Contractor's knowledge and belief, no inventions have been conceived or first reduced to practice during the term of this contract.

(b) Where it is contemplated that research, experimental, or developmental work will not be involved, paragraph (b) of the clause may be omitted. Upon written request by the prospective contractor and approval by the Head of the Procuring Activity or his authorized representative, the clause may be modified or omitted where:

(1) The period of employment is to be not more than 90 days in any 1 calendar year; or

(2) (i) The period of employment called for in the contract or in any renewal thereof is more than 90 days but not more than 1 year of full-time service, and

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The President's Statement of Government Patent Policy (see § 9.107) provides that every appropriate effort should be made to realize for the Government and the public the benefit of inventions and discoveries resulting from experimental, research and development contracts even where the inventions are an incidental product of the work. It is important that the Government be in a position to know and exercise its rights in order to avoid payment of royalties on inventions in which it has rights and to defend itself against unjustified claims and suits for patent infringement. To attain these ends, contracts having patent rights clauses should be so administered that:

(a) Subject Inventions are identified and reported as required by the contract clauses;

(b) The rights of the Government in such Inventions are established;

(c) The rights of the Government are documented by formal instruments such as licenses or assignments; and

(d) When appropriate, patent applications on Subject Inventions are timely filed and prosecuted by contractors or by the Government.

[32 F.R. 528, Jan. 18, 1967]

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(1) The

(a) Basic considerations. Government expends large sums for the conduct of research and development which results in a considerable number of inventions and discoveries.

(2) The inventions in scientific and technological fields resulting from work performed under Government contracts constitute a valuable national resource.

(3) The use and practice of these inventions and discoveries should stimulate inventors, meet the needs of the Government, recognize the equities of the contractor, and serve the public interest.

(4) The public interest in a dynamic and efficient economy requires that efforts be made to encourage the expeditious development and civilian use of these inventions. Both the need for incentives to draw forth private initiatives to this end and the need to promote healthy competition in industry must be weighed in the disposition of patent rights under Government contracts. Where exclusive rights are acquired by the contractor, he remains subject to the provisions of the antitrust laws.

(5) The public interest is also served by sharing of benefits of Governmentfinanced research and development with foreign countries to a degree consistent with our international programs and with the objectives of United States foreign policy.

(6) There is growing importance attaching to the acquisition of foreign patent rights in furtherance of the interest of United States industry and the Government.

(7) The prudent administration of Government research and development calls for a Government-wide policy on the disposition of inventions made under Government contracts reflecting com

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shall be made available and the technological advances covered thereby brought into being in the shortest time possible through dedication or licensing and shall be listed in official Government publications or otherwise.

(c) Definitions. As used in §§ 9.107— 9.107-9, the stated terms are defined as follows:

(1) "Invention or invention or discovery" includes any art, machine, manufacture, design or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, or any variety of plant, which is or may be patentable under the Patent Laws of the United States of America or any foreign country;

(2) "Contractor" means any individual, partnership, public or private corporation, association, institution, or other entity which is a party to the contract:

(3) "Contract" means any actual or proposed contract, agreement, grant, or other arrangement, or subcontract entered into with or for the benefit of the Government where a purpose of the contract is the conduct of experimental, developmental, or research work;

(4) "Made," when used in relation to any invention or discovery, means the conception or first actual reduction to practice of such invention in the course of or under the contract;

(5) "Governmental purpose" means the right of the Government of the United States (including any agency thereof, state, or domestic municipal government) to practice and have practiced (make or have made, use or have used, sell or have sold) throughout the world by or on behalf of the Government of the United States.

(6) "To the point of practical application" means to manufacture in the case of a composition or product, to practice in the case of a process, or to operate in the case of a machine or system and, in each case, under such conditions as to establish that the invention is being worked and that its benefits are reason. ably accessible to the public. [29 F.R. 9755, July 21, 1964]

§ 9.107-3 Policy.

(a) Category Government I. The shall normally acquire or reserve the right to acquire the principal or exclusive rights throughout the world in and to any inventions made in the course of or under a contract where:

(1) A principal purpose of the contract is to create, develop or improve products, processes, or methods which are intended for commercial use (or which are otherwise intended to be made available for use) by the general public at home or abroad, or which will be required for such use by governmental regulations; or

(2) A principal purpose of the contract is for exploration into fields which directly concern the public health or public welfare; or

(3) The contract is in a field of science or technology in which there has been little significant experience outside of work funded by the Government, or where the Government has been the principal developer of the field, and the acquisition of exclusive rights at the time of contracting might confer on the contractor a preferred or dominant position; or

(4) The services of the contractor are (i) For the operation of a Government-owned research or production facility; or

(ii) For coordinating and directing the work of others.

In exceptional circumstances, the contractor may acquire greater rights than a nonexclusive license at the time of contracting, where the Secretary certifies that such action will best serve the public interest. Greater rights than a nonexclusive license may be acquired by the contractor after the invention has been identified, where the invention when made in the course of or under the contract is not a primary object of the contract: Provided, The acquisition of such greater rights is consistent with the intent of this section and is a necessary incentive to call forth private risk capital and expense to bring the invention to the point of practical application.

(b) Category II. In other situations, where the purpose of the contract is to build upon existing knowledge or technology to develop information, products, processes, or methods for use by the Government, and the work called for by

the contract is in a field of technology in which the contractor has acquired technical competence (demonstrated by factors such as know-how, experience, and patent position) directly related to an area in which the contractor has an established nongovernmental commercial position, the contractor shall normally acquire the principal or exclusive rights throughout the world in and to any resulting inventions, subject to the Government's acquiring at least an irrevocable nonexclusive royalty-free license throughout the world for governmental purposes.

(c) Category III. Where the commercial interests of the contractor are not sufficiently established to be covered by the criteria specified in paragraph (b) of this section, the final determination of rights shall be made by the contracting officer after the invention has been identified, in a manner deemed most likely to serve the public interest as expressed in this Policy Statement (see § 9.107-2 and other paragraphs of this section), taking particularly into account the intentions of the contractor to bring the invention to a point of commercial application and the guidelines of paragraph (a) of this section: Provided, That in the special situations set forth in § 9.107-4(c) (2), the contractor may acquire at the time of contracting greater rights than a nonexclusive license. In any case, the Government shall acquire at least a nonexclusive royalty-free license throughout the world for Governmental purposes.

(d) In the Category II and Category III situations, when two or more potential contractors are judged to have presented proposals of equivalent merit, willingness to grant the Government principal or exclusive rights in resulting inventions will be an additional factor in the evaluation of the proposals. In no event will contractors be asked to state their willingness to grant the Government principal or exclusive patent rights prior to a determination that proposals of equivalent merit have been presented.

(e) Where the principal or exclusive (except as against the Government) rights in an invention remain in the contractor, he should agree to provide written reports at reasonable intervals, when requested by the Government, on the commercial use that is being made or is

intended to be inade of inventions made under Government contracts.

(f) Where the principal or exclusive (except as against the Government) rights in an invention remain in the contractor, unless the contractor, his licensee, or his assignee has taken effective steps within three years after a patent issues on the invention to bring the invention to the point of practical application or has made the invention available for licensing royalty-free or on terms that are reasonable in the circumstances, or can show cause why he should retain the principal or exclusive rights for a further period of time, the Government shall have the right to require the granting of a license to an applicant on a nonexclusive royalty-free basis.

(g) Where the principal or exclusive (except as against the Government) rights to an invention are acquired by the contractor, the Government shall have the right to require the granting of a license to an applicant royalty-free or on terms that are reasonable in the circumstances to the extent that the invention is required for public use by governmental regulations or as may be necessary to fulfill health needs, or for other public purposes stipulated in the contract.

(h) Where the Government may acquire the principal rights and does not elect to secure a patent in a foreign country, the contractor may file and retain the principal or exclusive foreign rights subject to retention by the Government of at least a royalty-free license for governmental purposes and on behalf of any foreign government pursuant to any existing or future treaty or agreement with the United States.

[29 F.R. 9755, July 21, 1964, as amended at 30 F.R. 6003, Apr. 29, 1965]

§ 9.107-4 Procedures.

(a) After appropriate

consultation

with legal, patent, and technical advisors, the contracting officer shall determine whether the Government or the contractor should acquire the principal or exclusive rights (hereafter these rights are referred to as "title") to any or all inventions made in the course of or under each contract and shall document the contract file to support his determination. The basic considerations and policy set forth above together with procedures in this part shall govern the

making of this determination. The Preaward Patent Rights Documentation Checklist set forth in paragraph (h) of this section may be used in determining the appropriate Patent Rights clause to be incorporated in a request for proposals in procurements involving experimental, developmental,

If

or research work. If the contracting officer determines that the Patent Rights (Title) clause (§ 9.1075(a)) is applicable, that clause shall be the only Patent Rights clause used. it is determined that the Patent Rights (Title) clause (§ 9.107-5(a)) is not applicable, the contracting officer shall include both the Patent Rights (License) (§ 9.107-5(b)) and Patent Rights (Deferred) (§ 9.107-5 (c)) clauses in the request for proposals together with the statement: "The contracting officer will determine during negotiation which of these two patent rights clauses will be used in the contract, and the determination will be made in accordance with the guidelines set forth in ASPR 9-107." Except where the Patent Rights (Title) clause is applicable, DD Form 1564, "Preaward Patent Rights Documentation", may be included in each request for proposal. In the case of an unsolicited proposal, the contractor may be requested to complete that DD Form. The Checklist and the DD Form, if used, shall be made a part of the contract file.

(b) Category I-Where the contracting officer determines that proposed experimental, developmental, or research work falls within Category I set forth in § 9.107-3 (a), the Patent Rights (Title) clause set forth in § 9.107-5(a) shall be included in the contract. When said determination is based on § 9.107-3 (a) (3) notice to that effect will be included in the solicitation. If the contractor to whom the award is to be made challenges the applicability of this provision, the contracting officer will review the basis for his determination and provide the contractor with the reason for his conclusion. If the contracting officer and the contractor cannot then resolve the issue, the contracting officer will promptly forward the problem to the Head of the Procuring Activity for resolution. If award of the contract cannot be delayed, the contracting officer may proceed with the procurement pending resolution of the issue, provided the contract contains the Patent Rights (Title) clause set forth in § 9.107-5 (a), accompanied by

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